Vegan protein without supplements: how to hit your daily target with food
Vegan protein sources without powders: tofu, tempeh, soy, lentils, seitan and more. Gram counts, sample days, what two studies show and what to plan, like B12.
revns editorial · Published November 14, 2026 · 7 min read
A vegan diet can reach 1.6 g of protein per kg a day from food alone. Foods, serving sizes, a sample day, what a 2021 trial and a 2018 meta-analysis show, and the B12 point to plan.
Yes, you can reach a high protein target on a vegan diet with food alone. For most people who train, the target is about 1.4 to 1.6 g of protein per kg of body weight a day, which is about 100 to 115 g for a 70 kg person. Tofu, tempeh, soy chunks, lentils, chickpeas, seitan, oats and a handful of nuts and seeds get you there in three meals and a snack.
TL;DR
- Daily target for lifters: about 1.6 g/kg. A large meta-analysis found no further muscle gain above about that level.
- Build each meal from one dense anchor (tofu, tempeh, seitan or soy chunks) plus one legume plus a grain.
- Aim for 25 to 40 g per meal over three or four meals.
- In a 2021 trial, vegan and omnivore men gained similar muscle and strength when protein was matched.
- Plan vitamin B12 from fortified foods or a supplement your doctor or dietitian advises. A vegan diet does not supply it reliably without fortified foods.
How much protein do you need on a vegan diet?
The same amount as anyone who trains. Use the protein calculator or read our guide on how much protein per day for the full range.
The key evidence is a 2018 meta-analysis in the British Journal of Sports Medicine by Morton and colleagues. It pooled 49 randomised trials with 1,863 adults who did resistance training for at least six weeks. Extra protein gave small gains in strength and fat-free mass. Intakes above about 1.6 g/kg a day gave no further gain in fat-free mass on average. That is a group average, so some people may gain from a little more, but 1.6 g/kg is a sound planning number.
Two points apply to vegans in particular:
- Digestibility and amino acid mix vary. Plant proteins are, on average, a little less digestible than animal proteins, and cereals are lower in lysine while legumes are lower in methionine. Eating a mix across the day solves this. Aim for the middle or upper part of your range rather than the bottom.
- Calories count. A vegan diet is often high in fibre and low in energy density. If you eat too little overall, protein targets are harder to reach. Check your TDEE too.
Which vegan foods have the most protein?
These are rounded values from standard food tables. Brands differ, so read labels on tofu, seitan and soy chunks.
| Food | Serving | Protein (about) |
|---|---|---|
| Seitan (wheat gluten) | 100 g | 20 to 25 g |
| Soy chunks (textured soy protein) | 50 g dry | 26 g |
| Firm tofu | 150 g | 20 g |
| Tempeh | 100 g | 19 g |
| Lentils, cooked | 1 cup (200 g) | 18 g |
| Edamame, shelled | 1 cup | 17 g |
| Chickpeas, cooked | 1 cup (165 g) | 15 g |
| Black beans or rajma, cooked | 1 cup | 15 g |
| Soy milk | 250 ml | 7 g |
| Peanut butter | 2 tbsp | 7 g |
| Pumpkin seeds | 30 g | 9 g |
| Quinoa, cooked | 1 cup | 8 g |
| Oats, dry | 40 g | 5 g |
Two notes. First, soy is the vegan food with a protein profile closest to animal protein, so it is a useful anchor. Second, seitan is high in protein but low in lysine, so pair it with legumes. People with coeliac disease or gluten sensitivity should avoid it.
How do you build a high-protein vegan meal?
Use one pattern for any cuisine:
- Anchor (15 to 25 g): tofu, tempeh, seitan, soy chunks, edamame.
- Legume (10 to 18 g): dal, lentils, chickpeas, rajma, black beans, hummus.
- Base (5 to 10 g): rice, roti, quinoa, pasta, bread, oats.
- Extras (3 to 9 g): nuts, seeds, peanut butter, soy milk.
Examples, each at about 30 g or more:
- Indian: soy chunk curry (50 g dry) with a bowl of dal and two rotis: about 26 + 13 + 6 = 45 g.
- Indian: tofu bhurji (150 g) with chana salad and one roti: about 20 + 10 + 3 = 33 g.
- Middle Eastern: falafel bowl with hummus, chickpeas and quinoa: about 30 g.
- East Asian: tempeh stir-fry (100 g) with edamame and rice: about 19 + 12 + 5 = 36 g.
- Mexican: black bean and tofu burrito with a soy yoghurt dip: about 30 g.
- Breakfast: oats made with soy milk, two tablespoons of peanut butter and pumpkin seeds: about 25 g.
What does the research say about vegan diets and muscle?
Two sources are worth knowing, and both have limits.
A 2021 trial in Sports Medicine. Hevia-Larraín and colleagues compared 19 habitual vegan men and 19 omnivorous men, all young and healthy, over 12 weeks of supervised resistance training twice a week. Protein was set at about 1.6 g/kg a day. The vegans got theirs from soy-based foods and soy protein, and the omnivores from mixed foods and whey. Both groups gained about the same amount of leg lean mass (about 1.2 kg) and both got stronger, with no significant difference between groups on any measure.
What it cannot show: it covered young, healthy, untrained men, for 12 weeks. It does not cover women, older adults or long-term athletes. And the vegan group used some soy protein powder to reach the target, so it does not prove that powder is unnecessary. It proves that when protein is matched, a vegan diet works. Food alone can reach the target, as the examples above show, but it takes some planning.
A 2018 meta-analysis in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism. Messina and colleagues pooled nine trials with 266 participants. They found that soy protein gave gains in strength and lean mass similar to whey (the protein in dairy) during resistance training. The sample is modest, and the trials used soy supplements, so it speaks to the quality of soy protein and not to whole-food diets.
Our reading: the total amount and regular lifting matter much more than the source. If you do not lift, extra protein will not build much muscle for you on any diet.
What does a vegan day at 110 g look like?
A sample for a 70 kg person, with no powders:
| Meal | Food | Protein (about) |
|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | 40 g oats cooked in 250 ml soy milk, 2 tbsp peanut butter, 15 g pumpkin seeds | 24 g |
| Lunch | Dal (1 cup, cooked) with 150 g tofu bhurji and a roti | 32 g |
| Snack | Roasted chickpeas (40 g) and a soy yoghurt | 12 g |
| Dinner | Tempeh stir-fry (100 g) with edamame (½ cup) and rice | 31 g |
| Evening | Whole-grain toast with hummus | 8 g |
| Total | about 107 g |
If you eat out a lot, one soy-chunk or tofu dish and one dal a day is a good floor.
Do you need to worry about vitamin B12 and other nutrients?
Protein is easy. Vitamin B12 is the real planning point. The NHS states that vitamin B12 is found in meat, fish, eggs, dairy products and specially fortified foods, and lists a vegan diet without fortified foods or B12 supplements among the causes of deficiency. Fortified plant milks, cereals and nutritional yeast help, but check the label. Many vegans take a B12 supplement on the advice of their doctor or dietitian. We do not give doses here.
Other nutrients that vegan and vegetarian eaters often ask about include iron, zinc, iodine, calcium, vitamin D and omega-3 fats. A dietitian can review your diet, and a blood test can check your levels. Do not guess.
What should you do this week?
If you are new to vegan eating:
- Pick three anchor foods you like (for example tofu, soy chunks and chana).
- Cook a big batch of dal or beans on Sunday.
- Add one anchor and one legume to every lunch and dinner.
- Add soy milk or a soy yoghurt at breakfast.
If you already train:
- Work out your target: weight in kg times 1.4 to 1.6.
- Log your protein for three days. The simplest way is to note your anchor foods at each meal. In revns you can log what you ate in the meal tracker and see the pattern next to your training.
- Spread protein over three or four meals instead of one large dinner.
- If you are well under target, add one more anchor food before you add a powder.
Our guide to high-protein vegetarian meals has more cuisine-specific ideas, and the creatine guide covers one supplement that vegan lifters often ask about.
When should you see a professional?
Talk to a doctor or registered dietitian if you have kidney disease or any long-term health condition (protein needs can change), if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, if you are under 18 or over 65 and changing your diet, or if you have a history of disordered eating. See a doctor for tiredness that does not go away, pale skin, tingling or numbness in hands or feet, shortness of breath, or unplanned weight loss. These need a proper check and are not caused by protein alone.
Related
- How much protein per day
- High-protein vegetarian meals: Indian and global ideas
- Creatine: what the evidence says, dose and myths
- Protein calculator
- Meal tracking in revns
This is general training guidance, not medical advice.
Sources
- Morton RW et al. A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. British Journal of Sports Medicine 2018;52:376-384
- Hevia-Larraín V et al. High-protein plant-based diet versus a protein-matched omnivorous diet to support resistance training adaptations: a comparison between habitual vegans and omnivores. Sports Medicine 2021;51:1317-1330
- Messina M et al. No difference between the effects of supplementing with soy protein versus animal protein on gains in muscle mass and strength in response to resistance exercise. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism 2018;28:674-685
- NHS. Vitamin B12 or folate deficiency anaemia
Terms in this post
revns publishes training and nutrition guidance, not medical advice. See a clinician for symptoms, injury or a medical condition. Accurate as of November 14, 2026.
